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Care made easy

July 13, 2006

Houston Chronicle (Internet / Print) 07/13/06 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/4037796.html Visitors and residents at the west end of Galveston Island don't have far to go to receive minor medical treatment with the addition of a new telehealth service provided by the University of Texas Medical Branch. Using advanced video conferencing technology and high-resolution computer imaging, doctors at UTMB-Galveston this summer are electronically treating people for routine cases such as jellyfish stings. Without the service, people on the west end must drive 20 miles east to UTMB to receive minor treatment — a cumbersome task during the summer months when traffic along Seawall Boulevard is heavy. "The drive is part of the equation," said Dr. Oscar Boultinghouse, chief medical officer and associate director of the program. "The amount of time to be processed for minor things can be quite extensive. Being able to see a doctor immediately and overcoming delayed care has value for those residents."